Impaired Fasting Glucose Affects Male Sexual Health

For men with sexual dysfunction, IFG linked with severe erectile dysfunction, overt hypogonadism

FRIDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 20 percent of men with sexual dysfunction have impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and are more likely than men with normal glucose levels to have severe erectile dysfunction (ED), reduced penile blood flow, and overt hypogonadism as well as increased overall cardiovascular (CV) risk, according to a study published online April 10 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Giovanni Corona, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Florence in Italy, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study involving 3,451 men with sexual dysfunction to evaluate the impact of IFG on men's sexual health. Glucose, testosterone (T), and other clinical and biochemical laboratory parameters were measured, and penile blood flow was assessed using Doppler ultrasound.

Among the participants, the researchers found that 21.7 percent had diabetes mellitus (DM) and 19.1 percent had IFG. Compared with men with normal glucose levels, those with IFG were more likely to exhibit severe ED, reduced penile blood flow, and overt hypogonadism. Men with IFG and ED tended to have an overall increased CV risk profile, including hypertension and dyslipidemia. Baseline DM was significantly associated with incidence of major adverse CV events, and there was a trend toward higher risk for IFG but it did not reach statistical significance. There was a higher risk of fatal and nonfatal cerebrovascular events for both DM and IFG.

"Checking glucose and T levels is mandatory in subjects with ED because T substitution in impotent IFG subjects might ameliorate not only their sexual life but also their overall health," the authors write.